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Aston Villa threw away a golden opportunity to edge closer to the Champions League knockouts as they fell 1-0 to Monaco in France.
The goal came early when Wilfried Singo headed home in the eighth minute after Emiliano Martinez saved Thilo Kehrer’s effort. Despite the early setback, Villa had their opportunities but struggled to find a breakthrough in a frustrating encounter.
Leon Bailey almost equalised after good work by Emiliano Buendía, forcing Monaco keeper Radoslaw Majecki into a fine save. Shortly after, Buendía set up Ollie Watkins, but his tame effort went straight into Majecki’s hands.
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Although Monaco had a second goal ruled out for offside, they consistently looked more dangerous, often exposing Villa’s defensive frailties. Twice in the second half, the hosts broke through Villa’s backline, but crucial last-ditch blocks kept the scoreline unchanged.
Villa, on the other hand, lacked fluency in attack and struggled to break down Monaco’s resilient defense. Even the introduction of Colombian forward Jhon Duran early in the second half failed to inspire any meaningful improvement.
Manager Unai Emery showed visible frustration on the sidelines as Villa’s sloppy passing repeatedly allowed Monaco to launch counter-attacks. This lack of precision in possession proved costly, as the visitors failed to create clear-cut chances in the dying stages.
The result leaves the English side needing a crucial win over Celtic next week at Villa Park to secure a top-eight finish. Despite this setback, they remain in a strong position to progress, thanks to their earlier performances in the competition.
For Monaco, the win provides a significant boost to their hopes of automatic qualification. They are now level with Villa on 13 points. The Ligue 1 outfit will now look to build on this momentum in their remaining fixtures.
Although Villa’s away form has been a concern, they have shown toughness and brilliance in their debut Champions League season and will aim to bounce back. However, with tougher challenges ahead, Emery’s men must find greater consistency to keep their European dream alive.
Tags: Aston Villa, Monaco, Champions League, #ChampionsLeague, #UCL, Unai Emery, Thilo Kehrer, #MONAVL, Emiliano Martínez, Wilfried Singo, Radoslaw Majecki, Emiliano Buendía, Jhon Duran, #nrtcnewsnigeria, #nrtcnigeria, #nrtcsports, #nrtcnews, #NewsRoundTheClock, Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey.
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